Means for oiling skids.



Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

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THE NORRIS PETERS CO, PHOTO-LITHQ. WASHINGTON. D. C-

P. W. KOLB.

MEANS FOR 01mm SKIDS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20, 1914. I

Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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F. W- ROLES F. W. KOLB.

MEANS FOR OILING SKIDS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20, 1914.

Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

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FREDERICK wivi. itotii, OF LA CONNER, wasnineroin MEAN's Eon oiLINe SKiDS;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. so, rare.

Application filed June 20, 1914. Serial No. 846,411.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK 1 V. KoLB, a citizen of the United States, residing at La Conner, in the county of Skagit and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Oiling Skids, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

T his invention relates to devices for cleaning and oiling the skids of skidways which are used in lumber camps, and upon which logs are drawn to railroad sidings or to banks of streams.

In lumber camps at the present time, it is necessary to have a person walk in advance of the team drawing the lumber over the skidway, and sweep off each skid and oil the same so that the logs will slip easily ver the skids. It is also necessary to have barrels of skid oil placed at intervals along the skidway, and as the oil is applied to the skids with a mop, a large percentage of the oil is wasted.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device which will automatically clean and oil each skid in advance of the logs drawn over the skidway, the device including means to first clean each successive skid and means to apply a certain amount of oil or grease to the top of each skid, this cleaning and oiling being accomplished as the logs are drawn along the ski dway.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a device of this character which includes a pair of spaced runners adapted for engagement upon the skid, the runners supporting a platform upon which is mounted an air pump and an oil tank, operating members being connected to the pistons of V the pump and the tank and being disposed in the path of the skid so that each successive skid will serve to actuate the pistons to cause a jet of air to escape from the air pump and clean the skid, and to discharge a quantity of oil from the tank upon the skid after the same has been cleaned.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of a skid cleaning and oiling device of this character which includes means for regulating the amount of air forced against the skids from the air pump, and also means for regulating the quantity of oil dropped upon each skid as the device passes over the same so that all waste of oil is eliminated.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of my device; Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the I air pump; Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the oil pump; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of the oil pump; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevational view of the lower end of the operating rod of the oil pump; Fig. 7 is a fragmentary View of the levers for operating the oil pump, showing the manner of bracing and connecting the same; and Fig. 8 is a fragmentary elevational view showing the manner of connecting the lift bars of the cross head for operating the air pump to the cylinder of the pump.

Referring more particularly to the drawing the numeral 1 designates the skids of a skidway, upon which my improved device is adapted to slide, the device including a pair of spaced parallel runners 2 upon the upper edges of which, at their forward ends, is secured a plurality of cross bars or timbers 3 which connect the runners together, and mounted upon the bars 3 is a platform 4:. Secured upon the platform 4:, adjacent its forward end, is a base 5 which is provided with an upstanding internally threaded flange 6, the flange receiving the lower threaded end of the air pump cylinder 7, and the base having a discharge opening 8 formed centrally therein. The cylinder 7 is provided with a removable cover 9, the cover having depending spring catches 10 connected thereto which are adapted for engagement with outwardly extending lugs 11 formed on the cylinder adjacent its upper end, whereby the cover is removably connected to the top of the cylinder. The cover is provided with a central opening 12, and a guide plate 13 is arranged across the top and is also provided with an opening therein which communicates with the opening 12 in the cover, and a piston rod 14 is passed through the registering openings, the lower end of the piston rod being threaded and having a piston 16 detachably mounted thereon. Connected to the upper end of the piston rod which projects above the cylinder, is a cross head 17, the opposite ends of which project beyond the cylinder at thereof, intermediate of its ends.

diametrically opposite points, and pivotally connected to the opposite ends of the cross head are vertically disposed lift bars 18 which extend downwardly through slots 19 in the opposite ends of the guide plate 13', and are slidably disposed through guide boxes 20 connected to the periphery ofthe cylinder at diametrically opposite points Secured to the upper face ofthe platform 4, forwardly of the cylinder 7 are spaced bearing members 21 each being provided upon its upperfa ew h a plu a ity o e e in. one of which the opposite ends of a supporting rod 22 are mounted, and pivotally mounted upon the opposite, ends of the rod within the members 21 are the forward extremities of a pair of angularllevers 23, the forward ends of the angle levers extending downwardly and rearwardly to a point below the runners so as to be disposed inthe path of the skids, the. rear ends 24: of the angle levers extending upwardly between the runners. The forward ends ofthe levers are connected by crossed braces 25, and are provided adjacent their forward ends with a series of openings 26, any one of the series 'of openings in each lever being adapted for engagement with the rod 22, whereby the distance which the levers normally project below the runners may be regulated. The forward and rear ends of the levers project through slots in the platform,and-the inner ends of the levers are pivotally connected at their extremitiesto the lower ends of connecting rods 27, the upper ends of the connecting rods being pivotally mounted upon studs 28 which projectfrom sleeves 29, the

sleeves being mounted upon "the lift bars 18 and being secured thereupon in adjust-ed position by the set screws 30 which project through the sleeves, into engagement withthe lift bars. v It will be seen that when the levers 23 are raised due to their engagement with a skid, the cross head 17 is also raised, thereby moving the piston 16 upwardly within the cylinder, and to return the piston to its lowermost position and to vnormally holdthe same in the lower end of the cylinder, any desired number of weight disks3l may be secured upon the piston rod above the piston. The cover 9 is provided with a plurality of air openings 32 and the piston 16 also has openings 32 formed therein, the piston having flap valves 33 secured to its under face, the valves 33 normally closing the openings 32 in the. piston, and being forced away from the openings as the piston is raised within the cylinder to allow air to pass through thefpiston into the space between the upper face of the base of the cylinder and the lower face of the piston. t will be seen that as the piston 16 is lowered, the flap valves 33 are forced against'the lower face of the piston to close the openings therein, and the air found in he comp s ion sraeehe n the base 5 and the under face of the cylinder is forced through the opening 8 against the upper face of the skid to clean the same. A raised ring 3a is formed on the upper face of the base, the ring having a groove 35 formed 1 therein to receive a rubber or other flexible ring 36, againstwhich the piston will strike at the limit of its downward movement, thisring forming an air tight chamber between itself and the cylinder, thus reducing the jar which would otherwise be imposed thefimder face of the tank is a base member 38 which has a cylinder 39 projecting upwardly therefrom through the opening in the bottom of the tank,"the upper face of the base being recessed, as at 40,to form a cup, and the basehaving a discharge opening ll formed therein which communicates with the cup 720, 4 Theglower end of the cylinder 39 is provided with a plurality ofelongate-d openings or slots 42, by means of which communication is established between the tank and the interior of the cylinder, andislidably mounted within the cylinder is a plunger and valve 4L3, to the upper end of which an operating cord or wire 4: 4: is connected,

the upper end of the wire being connected to a bar 45 which projects through an opening &6 inthe cover 47 of the tank. Connected tothe outer lfaceof the tank at one side thereof, is a bearing member 48 in which one end of an operating rod 49 is pivotally connected, therod 5E9 extending across the top of the tank and being turned Qvava id y3 we ,5 at i s free. e d, the down-turned portion 50 of the rod being disposed through guide plates 51 secured to the outer face of the tank at a point diametrically opposite from the bearing member 48, Thebar 45 is provided with a longitudinal slot 52, the rod 4,9 extending through the slot in the bar 45 the sides of the bar being provided with spaced openinss 3th lmanyr i i of h re i e r ing adapted to'receive a pin 5a therethrough, the pin also extending through the rod 49, whereby the bar 45 is loosely connected to the rod.

An angular lever 55 is pivotally connected at its up,per end, and at one side thereof, between a'pa r of upstanding apertured cars 56 secured upon the upper face of the plat form forwardly of the tank, the lower end 9. he ever p o e t n th u h a Slot in thefplatfq m and having its lower end normally disposed below the runners in the path of the skids, and pivotal ly connected at its lower end to the upper end of the lever at its opposite side is a link 57, which is pivotally connected at its upper end to the extremity of the down-turned portion 50 of the rod 49. Secured to the upper face of the platform on opposite sides of the lever 55,

is a pair of springs 58, the inner ends of which are inclined upwardly in spaced relation from the upper face of the platform, the springs being disposed longitudinally of the platform and having their inner or raised ends arranged below the lower end of the link 57. The lower extremity of the link 57 is directed outwardly at an angle as at 59, (see Fig. 6) to engage the free end of one of the springs when the link is in its lowermost position, and secured to the link, adjacent its lower end, is a strip 60, which is oflset at its lower end from the link, plate 60 being bent outward, as at 61 to engage the other spring 58 when the link is in its lowermost position. The lever is disposed between the link 57 and the strip 60 and is pivoted to the strip between the link by means of a pivot pin 6P. Formed in the cover &7 of the tank, is a filling opening 62 which is covered by a screen 63, so that when oil is poured into the tank, the same is strained, a lid 6t being pivotally connected to the cover to normally close the opening 62 and prevent dust and dirt from entering the tank through the opening.

Connecting chains 65 are connected at one end to the runners, adjacent their forward ends, while the other end of the connecting chains are secured to the draft chain 66, the rear end of the draft chain having the grab hooks 67 connected thereto, the hooks being adapted for engagement in the front log of a string of timber which is to be drawn over the skids and the forward end of the front log 68 resting on the skids between the rear ends of the runners 2. Connected to the forward end of the draft chain 66 is a whifiietree 69 to which draft animals are connected, by means of which the device and logs are moved over the skids. Both of the levers 23 and 55 may be disposed in an inoperative position, so that no oil or air will be discharged from the pumps upon the return trip of the device, the lower end of the lever 23 being held above the lower edges of the runners by disposing the rod 22 through the lowermost openings 26 in the forward end of the lever, and the lower end of the lever 55 being held in a plane above the lower edges of the runners by swinging the same upwardly, so that the opening 55, which is normally disposed below the lower face of the platform, is disposed above the upper face of the platform, so that a pin or bar (not shown), may be disposed through the opening to hold the lever in its upper position.

The operation of my device is as follows :The draft animals are driven forwardly to move the logs over the skids in the usual manner, the platform upon which my improved mechanism is mounted be ing connected to the draft animals forwardly of the foremost log. it will be seen that when the lever 23 engages a skid, the lever is raised, which raises the piston 16 in the cylinder 7 of the air pump, thereby drawing air into the chamber below the piston, and that when the lever passes over the skid, the weights 31 force the piston downwardly, thereby discharging air from the opening 8 against the top of the skid to blow any dirt which might be upon the skid off of the same. As the device continues its forward movement, the lever 55 engages the skid and is raised to draw the plunger and valve 43 upwardly, thereby allowing a quantity of oil to enter the cylinder 39, and when the lever 55 has passed over the skid, the plunger and valve at?) descendin the cylinder owing to its own weight and the weight of the lever 55 and forces the oil through the discharge opening ll in the base of the cylinder onto the top of the skid, thereby thoroughly oiling the same, so that the logs will slide over the skid with the least possible amount of friction. As the device is moved along the skidway, each successive skid is cleaned and oiled in the above described manner, and it will be seen that the quantity of oil disposed upon each skid may be regulated by adjustment of the bar is upwardly or downwardly upon the rod 49, so that the distance to which the plunger 13 is elevated in the cylinder 39 is regulated. It will be understood that any desired tools which may be required for use may be carried upon the platform.

It is to be particularly noted that the levers 2 k and 55 and the air pump and oil container are so disposed with relation to each other that the levers 24L- are first engaged by the skid logs and that these levers engage the skid logs at. such time that the nozzle or opening 8 of the air pump is disposed immediately above the log. The blast of air from this nozzle will blow away sawdust, bark or dirt which may have collected upon the face of the log, leaving the log in condition to receive the oil from the container 37, and that after the log has been cleaned it engages with the lever 55, and this lever is raised just as the orifice 41 reaches a position over the log so that the oil may flow down from the container onto the log, and that this oil will not be closed off until the orifice 41 has passed over the log. This latter result is secured by the fact that when the plunger 13 rises the oil will naturally flow into the space below the plunger, and therefore will retard the downward movement of the plunger. Thus the plunger does not snap down quickly after the lever is released, but comes down relatively slowly, the plunger acting, however, to force out the oil in front of it to compensate for the gradual cutting off of the area of the slots 42. It is also to be 5 notedthat the lever 24 is adjustable vertically at its forward end so that the lever may be caused to depend to a greater or less extent below the lower edges of the runners 2, thus causing a greater or less movement of the piston of the air pump. Furthermore, the levers may be shifted forward or rearward so that they will engage with the logs at the proper time to. cause the blast of air to be forced downward upon the leg when the nozzle 8 is directly over the log.

It will be noted that the levers 23 are different in form from the lever 55. This is because the levers 23 are required to lift relatively slowly or descend quickly, Whereas the lever will continue in engagement with the log for a relatively longer time. It will also be seen by particular reference to Fig. 4. that the pivotal axis of the lever 55 may be changed in the bearing members 56, these bearing members being formed with a plurality of perforations for this purpose, and that the extent of movement of the plunger valve A3 may 0 also be controlled not only by shifting the clip 52 with relation to the arm l9, but by shifting the point of pivotal connection between the lever 55 and the link 57.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A device for oiling the skids of skidways including a supporting frame, means mounted on the supporting frame for applying oil to each successive skid as the device is drawn over the skidway, and means for re ulating the quantity of oil applied to each skid.

2. A device for oiling the skids of skidways including a supporting frame, an oil pump mounted upon the frame, and actuating means carried by the frame and normally disposed in the path of the skids, the actuating means being adapted for engagement with each successive skid as the device is moved along the skidway, to operate thepump and apply a quantity of oil to each skid.

3. A device for oiling the skids of skidways including a supporting frame, an oil pump mounted upon the frame, pump actu-y ating means carried by the platform and normally disposed in the path of the skids, the actuating means being adapted for engagement with each successive skid as the device is moved along the skidway, to operate the pump and apply a quantity of oil to each skid, and means for regulating the quantity of oil applied to each skid.

4:- A device for oiling the skids of skiding openings at its lower end, afiording commun cation between the container and the interior of said casing, a plunger movable wlthln the casing, and a lever plvoted to the carriage, depending below the same and adapted to be engaged by successive skids, said lever being operatively connected to said plunger.

5. A device for oiling the skids of skidways,including a carriage adapted to travel over the skids, an oil container mounted upon the carriage and having a clownwardly discharging nozzle, a lever pivotally mounted upon the carriage and depending below the same adapted to be engaged by successive skids, means for controlling the discharge of oil through said nozzle, means operatively connecting the lever to said controlling means, and means for adjusting the pivotal'point of said lever.

6. A device for oiling the skids of skidways, including a carriage adapted to travel over the skids, an oil container mounted upon the carriage and having a downwardly discharging nozzle, a lever pivotally mounted upon the carriage and depending below the same adapted to be engaged by successive skids, means for controlling the discharge of oil through said nozzle, means operatively connecting the lever to said controlling means, means for adjusting the pivotal point of said lever, and means for adjusting the angularity of said leverwith relation to the horizontal plane of the carriage. 7

7. A device for oiling the skids of skidways, including a carriage movable over the skids, an- Oil container mounted upon the carriage, a vertically movable plunger valve disposed within the container, an arm pivotally supported at one end but extending across the container and to which the plunger rod is operatively connected, a downwardly and rearwardly extending lever pivotally connected at its forward upper end to the carriage and at its rear upper end operatively connected to said arm, the lever depending below the carriage in position to be engaged by successive logs on the skidway. 1

S. A device for oiling the skids of skidways, including a carriage, a container mounted thereon, the bottom of the container being formed with a circular depression having a downward orifice in its middle, a tubular casing extending upward from said depression and radially slotted at its lower end, a plunger'having a diameter equal to the smallest diameter of the ole pression and traveling in said casing, an

tively connected with said arm, said lever extending below the carriage and adapted to engage successive skids, whereby to cause an elevation of the plunger and the ejection of the oil from the container, the

Weight of the lever acting to return the plunger to its normal position, and springs for cushioning the downward movement of the lever.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afilX my 15 signature in the presence of two witnesses. FREDERICK WM. KOLB. Witnesses:

W. S. PACKARD, S. J. YEREX.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 01 Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

